The Economics of Everyday Things

With industries relying on them and profits to be made, weather forecasts are more precise and more popular than ever. But there are clouds on the horizon. Zachary Crockett grabs an umbrella.

• SOURCES:
  • Steve Adelman, head of Adelman Law Group, PLLC and vice president of the Event Safety Alliance.
  • Peter Neilley, director of weather forecasting sciences and technologies for The Weather Company.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Trade...

A fraternity’s budget includes broken windows, liability insurance, chili dog breakfasts, and the occasional $40,000 DJ. Zachary Crockett crashes the party.

• SOURCES:
  • Anthony Anderson, member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
  • Danielle Logan, owner of Fraternity Management.
  • Charlie O’Neill, member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
  • Stephen J. Schmidt, professor of economics at Union College.

• RESOURCES:
  • "...

How does bail work — and who's really paying? Zachary Crockett follows the money.

• SOURCES:
  • Joshua Page, professor of sociology and law at the University of Minnesota.
  • Steven Zalewski, criminal defense attorney and co-owner of Affordable Bails New York.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Does Bail Reform Increase Crime in New York State: Evidence from Interrupted Time-Series Analyses and Synthetic Control Methods," by Sishi Wu and D...

So many vehicles on the road today are white, black, or gray — but automotive designers find that consumer preferences may be changing lanes. Zachary Crockett surveys the lot.

• SOURCES:
  • Tom Crockett, classic car enthusiast.
  • Mark Gutjahr, global head of design at BASF.
  • Nikkie Riedel, carline planning manager at Subaru of America.

• RESOURCES:
  • BASF Color Report 2023 for Automotive OEM Coatings.
  • "Beige on an S.U.V. W...

Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storing it all has become a $45 billion business. Zachary Crockett cleans out the garage.

• SOURCES:
  • Zachary Dickens, executive vice president and chief investment officer of Extra Space Storage.
  • Anne Mari DeCoster, self-storage consultant.
  • Kara Kolodziej, self-storage unit tenant.

• RESOURCES:
  • "A Fifth Of Americans Rent Self Storage, W...

The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise.

• SOURCE:
  • Gregg Barbanell, foley artist at Universal Studios.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Weird, Analog Delights of Foley Sound Effects," by Anna Wiener (The New Yorker, 2022).
  • "The Strangest Foley Sounds in Cinema," by Amber Gibson (...

Those letters at the end of web addresses can mean big bucks — and, for some small countries, a substantial part of the national budget. Zachary Crockett follows the links.

• SOURCES:
  • Vince Cate, technical contact for the .ai domain in Anguilla.
  • Kim Davies, Vice President of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Services and President of Public Technical Identifiers at ICANN.
  • Tianyu Fang, contributing editor at Reboot.

The verdant lawns promise everlasting rest — but what does it mean to sign a lease for all eternity? Zachary Crockett finds out where the bodies are buried.

• SOURCES:
  • Terry Arellano, co-founder and president of Cemetery Property Resales, Inc.
  • Jeff Lindeman, C.E.O. and General Manager of Mountain View Cemetery.
  • Tanya Marsh, professor of law at Wake Forest University.
  • Maureen Walton, founder and president of The Cemetery Exchange.
  ...

Relocating halfway across the world is hard enough for humans. For pets it can require a specialist. Zachary Crockett waits at the airport, holding a sign saying "Fluffy."

• SOURCES:
  • Amelia Barklow, owner of two pet ducks, Wobbles and Bean.
  • Mike Gays, managing director of Global Pet Relocation.
  • Gemma Tappin, pet relocation consultant team leader at Global Pet Relocation.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Service Dogs Are Allowed on P...

More and more Americans rely on prostheses. They’re custom-fitted, highly personal, and extremely expensive. Zachary Crockett investigates.

• SOURCES:
  • Jordan Beckwith, YouTuber and advocate.
  • Eric Neufeld, owner and medical director of Agile Orthopedics.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Medicare Coverage of Durable Medical Equipment & Other Devices," by Medicare (2024).
  • "Limb Loss in the U.S.," infographic by the Amputee Coalition (2...

Interest in houseplants has exploded in recent years. But what causes floral trends, and prices, to grow? Zachary Crockett sows a few seeds.

• SOURCES:
  • Justin Hancock, director of research and development at Costa Farms.
  • Brian Williams, co-owner of Brian's Botanicals.
  • Sarah Williams, co-owner Brian's Botanicals.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Bidding Wars and $1,000 Succulents: The Wild World of Rare Houseplants," by Hannah Hollan...

Once America’s favorite recreational activity, bowling has been in the gutter for decades. But some surviving alleys are resetting the pins. Zachary Crockett laces up.

• SOURCES:
  • Mike Leong, owner of Bel Mateo Bowl.
  • Devon Stewart, head coach of Florida State University bowling team, C.E.O. of Bowl Connect, and consultant with the Hansell Group.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Cornhole and Bowling Are the Sports Most Americans Play...

Why does the mailman bring us so many catalogs, credit card offers, and pizza coupons? Because his job depends on it. Zachary Crockett checks the mailbox.

• SOURCES:
  • Brett Chamberlin, program manager at Catalog Choice.
  • Aaron Gordon, journalist.
  • Mike Gunderson, president of Gunderson Direct.

• RESOURCES:
  • "U.S. Postal Service Reports Fiscal Year 2023 Results," by the U.S. Postal Service (2023).
  • "How We Ended Up With ...

If you can make it through three years of law school, you too might end up on a billboard.  Zachary Crockett makes the case.

• SOURCES:
  • Jason Abraham, managing partner of Hupy & Abraham.
  • Nora Engstrom, professor at Stanford Law School.
  • Kyle Hebenstreit, C.E.O. of Practice Made Perfect.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Personal Injury Settlement Amounts Examples (2024 Guide),” by Jeffrey Johnson (Forbes Advisor, 2022).
  • “Low Ball: An I...

Why do you have to pay $4 to get $40 cash at a bar? And who does it go to? Zachary Crockett checks his balance.

• SOURCES:
  • Bernardo Batiz-Lazo, professor in the Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University.
  • Patricia Tuz, president of New York ATM.
  • Jon Weilbaker, general manager of New York ATM.
  • Sasha Weilbaker, freelance writer and daughter of Patricia and Jon.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Number of ATMs Has Declined a...

Why is it separate from medical insurance? And is it really insurance at all? Zachary Crockett goes in for a cleaning.

• SOURCES:
  • Brad Bolman, postdoctoral member of the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study.
  • Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, prosthodontist and chief editor for Dental Economics.
  • Wendell Potter, president of the Center for Health and Democracy; former executive at Cigna.

• RESOURCES:...

Those low-priced staples on grocery-store shelves — where do they come from? Zachary Crockett finds out at a national convention for private-label manufacturers.

• SOURCES:
  • Kusum Ailawadi, professor of marketing at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
  • Eric Beringause, C.E.O. of Winland Foods.
  • Ryan Boyle, vice president of sales at Kitchen Innovations.
  • Samantha Burd, co-owner of Lady Burd Cosmetics.
  • Dean Erstad, senior...

Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated choreographers who make sure everyone is comfortable. Zachary Crockett fast-forwards straight to the good parts. 

• SOURCES:
  • Alicia Rodis, intimacy coordinator.
  • Matthew Swanlund, founder and principal attorney at Aesthetic Legal.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Romance or Nomance? Adolescents Prefer to See Less Sex, More Friendships, ...

American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s business opportunity. Zachary Crockett hits the links.

• SOURCES:
  • Todd Hutchinson, president and owner of BallHawker.
  • Lashan Wanigatunga, founder of Two Guys With Balls.

• RESOURCES:
  • "BallHawker, Challenge Enterprises Turn Wayward Golf Shots Into Successful Endeavor," Natalie Gilstrap (Clay Today, 2023).
  • "Temecula Golf Bal...